Frequently asked questions.

Yes, completely free to use. No account, no email, no credit card. If a retailer pays us a referral fee when you switch, we may receive that. We will never sort results by who pays us. Your best saving always comes first.

We have full plan coverage for NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, and ACT. WA and TAS have limited plan availability in the government plan registry, so results there may not be comprehensive. Northern Territory is not currently covered.

Yes. BillSense supports both electricity and gas bills. Upload a gas bill and we will compare against gas plans in your state. Gas comparisons are available for VIC, NSW, SA, ACT, and QLD.

We fetch plan data live from the government's energy plan registry each time you upload a bill. Retailers are legally required to keep this data current. We flag any plans not updated in the last 90 days so you can verify before switching.

Yes. Forward your electricity or gas bill, as a PDF or a photo attachment, to [email protected] and we will reply with your full comparison in a couple of minutes. No account and no sign-up. It is handy on your phone: just forward the bill your retailer already emailed you.

The estimate applies your actual usage and billing period to all matching plans in your network zone. It is as accurate as the data allows. Estimates assume your usage pattern stays the same on the new plan. Actual savings can vary if your usage changes, or if a plan has conditional discounts (introductory rates, loyalty discounts, pay-on-time benefits) that we cannot factor in from the government data alone. Always verify on the retailer's site before switching.

We only show plans that are available in your network zone (distributor area). Plans that require eligibility you haven't declared, such as solar, a concession card, or a business ABN, are hidden by default. You can turn these on using the filter bar on your results page. Some retailers also do not publish plans to the government's energy plan registry, which means they won't appear here.

Some plans in the government plan registry show unusually low rates that are only available when you buy a solar or battery system from that retailer, or meet other specific eligibility conditions. We flag these with a warning so you know to check eligibility before acting on the saving.

It can be. The government data comparison methodology annualises your billing period usage, so if you are a heavy user on a high rate, the gap to the cheapest plan can be large. Run the number past your last few bills to sense-check it. If the figure still looks right, it probably is. Energy prices vary significantly across retailers.

Other sites may receive referral fees that influence which plans are surfaced first. BillSense pulls directly from the government plan registry and ranks strictly by lowest estimated annual cost. We do not accept plan placement fees. Plans that pay us referrals do not move up the list.

A time-of-use (TOU) tariff charges different rates depending on when you use electricity. Peak periods, typically weekday evenings, cost more than off-peak periods such as overnight and weekends. If your bill shows separate peak, shoulder, and off-peak rates, you are on a TOU tariff. BillSense reads these rates from your bill and applies them accurately when comparing plans.

A flat rate charges the same price per kWh regardless of when you use electricity. A time-of-use tariff charges different rates at different times of day. Flat rates are simpler to budget for. TOU rates can be cheaper if you shift usage to off-peak times, such as running dishwashers and washing machines overnight, but cost more if most of your usage falls in peak hours.

Yes. Enable the solar filter on your results page and we will include plans that pay you for excess energy exported to the grid. The feed-in rate is factored into your estimated annual cost.

Your distribution network (DNSP) owns and operates the poles and wires that deliver electricity to your home. Different distributors operate in different geographic zones within each state. Plans from retailers are priced to work within specific network zones, so BillSense matches plans to your exact zone to ensure the rates shown actually apply to your address.

Your distribution zone is set by your address, not your retailer, and is usually printed on your electricity bill near your NMI (National Metering Identifier). NSW has three zones (Ausgrid covering Sydney and Newcastle, Endeavour Energy covering western Sydney and Wollongong, and Essential Energy covering regional NSW). Victoria has five (CitiPower, Jemena, United Energy, Powercor and AusNet). Queensland has two (Energex in the south-east, Ergon in regional QLD). SA, ACT and Tasmania each have a single distributor. If you upload your bill, BillSense reads the zone automatically.

Upload your bill for a ranking on your actual usage, or browse the cheapest plan for your distribution network zone. BillSense publishes a live per-zone ranking for every Australian network, for example Ausgrid in Sydney, Energex in Brisbane, or Powercor in western Victoria, updated daily from the government's Energy Made Easy registry and ranked strictly by lowest annual cost.

Click the Switch & Save button next to any plan. You'll be taken directly to that retailer's sign-up page. You can also take the plan name and go to the retailer's website yourself. There is no obligation to go through BillSense.

Switching electricity or gas plans in Australia typically takes one to two billing cycles, around 30 to 90 days. There is no interruption to your supply. You stay on your current plan and rates until the new plan activates. Check your current contract for any early exit fees before switching.

No. Your new retailer handles the transfer process. You sign up with the new retailer and they notify your current one. You do not need to call or cancel anything. If you are mid-contract, check whether an exit fee applies, your current bill or retailer website will have this information.

We extract only what we need: your energy retailer, tariff rates, usage, billing period, and state. We use your bill only to work out your location, usage and rates, and never store your name, street address, or account number. The original file is never stored. We do not sell or share your data. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

The fastest way is to upload your electricity bill to BillSense. We compare your actual usage and tariff rates against the matching plans in your area and show you the exact dollar difference in under 30 seconds.